1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for managing printing and scanning and faxing functionality of a facsimile machine via a bi-directional parallel interface with which the facsimile machine is equipped. More particularly, the invention provides a facsimile manager for managing image files connected with printing, scanning and faxing, and in addition provides printing and scanning drivers by which any Windows application program can access such printing, scanning and faxing functionality.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has recently been considered to provide a facsimile machine with a bi-directional parallel interface, such as the bi-directional parallel interface defined by IEEE Standard 1284 (Feb. 2, 1993, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference). Such a bi-directional parallel interface allows two-way communication with a facsimile machine so-equipped. Thus, not only does it become possible for the facsimile machine to print out documents sent to it from a personal computer, but is also becomes possible for the facsimile machine to provide scanned-in documents (or received-fax documents) back to the personal computer.
With the advent of facsimile machines equipped with such bi-directional parallel interfaces, there exists a need for managing the printing, scanning and faxing functionality of the facsimile machine from a separate personal computer. There further exists a need to provide such printing, scanning and faxing functionality to other applications, particularly Windows applications, executing on the personal computer.
These needs are met by the present invention which relates to a system for managing image files connected with printing and scanning and faxing functionality of a facsimile machine via a bi-directional parallel interface, and which in addition provides printing and scanning drivers by which any Windows application program can access such printing, scanning and faxing functionality.
In one aspect of the invention, a facsimile manager for operating printing and scanning functionality of a facsimile machine equipped with a bi-directional parallel interface includes an interface with a communication module, an in-box for storing image provided by the communication module, such images including the received-fax image and images from other Windows application programs, an out-box for storing send-fax images that are provided by the communication module, a scanning module, a fax module and a print module. The communication module polls the facsimile machine via the bi-directional parallel interface to determine whether a scanned-in image or a received-fax image is present in facsimile memory, obtains the scanned-in image or the received fax image via the bi-directional interface, and accepts images and send-fax images from other Windows applications programs. The scanning module causes the communication module to initiate a scanning operation, receives scanned-in image from the communication module, and stores the scanned-in image in the in-box. The fax module gives send-fax data from the out-box to the communication module and which causes the communication module to transmit the send-fax images via the bi-directional interface to the facsimile machine for subsequent facsimile transmission by the facsimile machine. The print module gives images from the in-box or the out-box to the communication module and which causes the communication module to transmit the image via the bi-directional interface to the facsimile machine for subsequent print out by the facsimile machine.
In another aspect of the present invention, a configurable print driver accepts document data from a Windows-based application program and delivers corresponding image data to a communication module adapted to communicate with a facsimile machine via a bi-directional parallel interface. The configurable print driver includes a configuration selector for selecting one of a printing, faxing or storing configuration for the print driver, a file format converter which converts the document from the Windows application into an image-based file format, and a delivery mechanism for delivering the converted document to the communication module together with the selected configuration.
In another aspect of the present invention, a TWAIN scan driver which is responsive to acquire commands issued by a TWAIN-compatible Windows application program delivers image data from a fax machine equipped with a bi-directional parallel interface to the Windows application program. The TWAIN scan driver includes a TWAIN negotiator for negotiating a suitable image format with the Windows application program, a scan initiator for issuing a command for initiating scan by the facsimile machine, an interface with a communication modules which sends a command via the bi-directional parallel interface to the fax machine for initiating scanning, which polls fax memory to determine whether a scanned-in document file is present in fax memory, and which in response to the presence of a scanned-in document in fax memory retrieves the scanned-in document via the bi-directional parallel interface, an image buffer for temporarily storing and for displaying the scanned-in document retrieved by the communication module, and an accept interface response to an image-accept command, for providing the scanned-in image to the Windows application program in the TWAIN-negotiated image format.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a communication module resident in a host computer communicates with a processor in a facsimile machine equipped with a bi-directional interface. The communication module includes a polling mechanism, responsive to timer messages issued from a Windows operating system, for polling the facsimile machine via the bi-directional interface to determine whether an image file is present in facsimile memory, an image buffer into which the communication module stores image files retrieved from facsimile memory via the bi-directional interface, a file identifier for determining whether the retrieved image file is a scanned-in image file or a received-fax image file, and a delivery mechanism for delivering the retrieved image file to an in-box of a facsimile manager in a case where the file identifier determines that the retrieved image file is a received-fax image file, and for delivering the retrieved image file to an active scan driver in a case where the file identifier determines that the retrieved image file is a scanned-in image file.
In yet another aspect of the invention, an out-box display includes a list area divided into a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the top portion includes a list of queued out-box items and wherein the bottom portion includes a list of completed out-box items. An active list, separate from and positioned on top of the list area, includes exactly one item which is currently an active out-box item, and also includes a stop button. In response to selection of the stop button, transmission of the active item in the active list is terminated.